78: League rules put teamwork to the test (Part 1)

The arena matches were in full swing. Relying on his exquisite command of the Hundred Schools Kin and an endless stream of tactics, Lin Zhou overcame all obstacles. He encountered a [Shadow Leopard] Divine Domain that specialized in stealth and assassination, which he countered using the Legalist Enforcer's [Legal Insight] and the Literary Heart Elves' [Vast Righteous Qi]; he also faced a [Granite Giant] Divine Domain known for its defense and recovery, winning through the [Armor Piercing] attribute of the Tiangong Dwarves and a sustained war of attrition.

Every victory allowed more people to recognize the difficulty and power of his unique civilization system. When he defeated his eighth opponent and successfully broke into the top ten, the entire Yuncheng No. 1 High School was shaken. A god who relied on the power of 'Thought' and 'Order' to reach this stage was unprecedented!

Finally, the top ten of the school selection match were settled. Lin Zhou was ranked seventh, Zhao Hao ranked fifth by relying on the might of a giant Dragon, and Su Yueyao was ninth. The top three were occupied by Lei Huang, a Genius girl named Yan Li who possessed a [Blazing Phoenix] Divine Domain, and a steady boy named Stone Breaking Heaven whose Divine Domain featured the [Mountain Giant].

According to custom, the top ten would form the school team to represent Yuncheng No. 1 High School in the upcoming [Star Domain High School League].

The day after the selection match ended, all top ten members were summoned to the school conference room. Presiding over the meeting was the Vice Principal and Director of the Divine Domain Combat Department, a serious-looking middle-aged True God—Yang Zhen.

“First of all, congratulations to all of you for standing out.” Director Yang's gaze swept across the ten young and energetic faces, pausing slightly on Lin Zhou, “You will represent the honor of Yuncheng No. 1 High School in the Star Domain League. But before that, you must be clear about the rules of the league and learn how to fight as a team.”

He waved his hand to open a massive light screen, which displayed the detailed rules of the Star Domain League.

【Star Domain High School League · Team Match Rules】

Format: Five-person team match (each school sends five main players and two substitutes).

Battlefield: Simulated composite astral battlefield, massive in size with complex and ever-changing environments (may include forests, deserts, oceans, mountains, dungeons, and other terrains).

Victory Conditions:

Completely destroy all Divine Domain cores of the enemy team (simulated).

The enemy team voluntarily surrenders.

When the match time ends, the winner is determined based on a comprehensive score including the number of resource points occupied, kill points, and Divine Domain integrity.

Core Mechanisms:

Resource Point Contention: Various resource points (such as [Gold Mine], [Logging Camp], [Mana Spring], [Ancient Ruins], etc.) are scattered across the battlefield. Occupying resource points produces simulated resources over time (used for quickly recruiting troops, building defensive towers, casting large-scale divine Spells, etc.), which is the key to accumulating an advantage.

Neutral Creatures: Neutral parties exist on the battlefield (wild monsters, elemental creatures, etc.); defeating them can grant temporary buffs (such as [Claws of Attack], [Guardian Aura]), rare Materials, or special cards (limited to the current match).

Team Collaboration: Members' Divine Domains will descend in designated initial areas of the battlefield. They can send reinforcements to each other, share partial vision, and collaboratively build defensive systems. Cooperation between team members is crucial.

Command System: The team must appoint one Commander responsible for macro-strategic decisions. Each member must follow Orders but can adjust flexibly according to the battle situation.

Special Rules: The use of specific types of pre-registered cards is allowed (such as one-time Spell scrolls, summon cards, and building cards), while items or external forces exceeding the Demigod rank are prohibited.

Looking at the complex rules on the light screen, except for a few like Lei Huang who already knew them, the other members all showed solemn expressions. This was far more complex than the brawls and arena matches of the school selection, placing extreme demands on the team's resource allocation, tactical execution, and on-the-spot adaptability.

“Team collaboration...” Lin Zhou murmured to himself. This was precisely where his Hundred Schools Divine Domain could truly shine. His kin might not be the strongest individually, but in terms of providing crowd control, defense, buffs, and healing, they could greatly enhance the team's overall combat effectiveness.

“Now, we will proceed with the allocation of team positions and preliminary tactical coordination,” Director Yang said in a deep voice. “First, determine the team Commander. Those interested can state their advantages and tactical ideas.”

The conference room fell silent for a moment. The role of Commander carried heavy responsibility, requiring not only immense personal strength but also an exceptional grasp of the big picture and leadership ability.

Lei Huang spoke first, his voice booming: “I believe I am suitable to serve as the Commander. My Thunder Giant has strong frontal assault capabilities, making it suitable to act as the team's arrowhead. My tactical style is blitzkrieg, quickly destroying the enemy's core!” His style was as aggressive as ever.

Yan Li brushed her fiery red hair and said indifferently: “My Blazing Phoenix has high mobility, suitable for scouting and harassment, and can also provide considerable area-of-effect damage. However, I am better at executing specific tasks rather than overall command.”

Stone Breaking Heaven said in a thick voice: “My Mountain Giant has the strongest defense and can guard key nodes. Command... I'm not good at it.”

Zhao Hao scratched his head: “I'm fine with fighting, but forget about commanding, it's too much of a brain drain.” He readily gave up.

Su Yueyao's cool voice rang out: “Moon Elves excel at precision strikes, healing, and purification, and can serve as support and long-range DPS. The role of Commander requires a view of the entire situation, which I cannot currently undertake.” Her words were objective and calm.

The other members also expressed that they were more suited to following Orders.

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on Lin Zhou.

Meeting everyone's gaze, Lin Zhou spoke calmly: “Everyone might already have some understanding of my Divine Domain's characteristics. The Literary Heart Elves can provide group defense (Aura of Righteousness Barrier) and purification; the Tiangong Dwarves excel at siege and construction; and the Legalist Enforcer is skilled in crowd control (Net of Law) and rule interference. I believe my system is more suitable to act as the team's 'hub' and 'glue,' coordinating all parties, filling in the gaps, and creating opportunities for the main damage dealers through crowd control and defense.”

He paused and continued: “As for tactics, I believe we shouldn't be limited to just one. Facing different opponents and different lineups, we should adopt different strategies. Whether it's playing it safe, relying on resource accumulation and defensive advancement; or combining conventional and unconventional tactics, using feints to mask our true intentions; or concentrating superior forces to defeat them one by one. The key lies in assessing the situation and adapting flexibly. And my kin's characteristics happen to support the transition and execution of various tactics.”

He didn't directly say he wanted to be the Commander, but he clearly articulated his core value in the team and a more flexible tactical philosophy that emphasized cooperation, which stood in stark contrast to the aggressive blitzkrieg advocated by Lei Huang.

The conference room fell into silence again. Lei Huang frowned slightly; he admitted that Lin Zhou's kin were very strong in support, but letting someone who focused on support be the Commander? He was somewhat skeptical.

A flash of appreciation appeared in Director Yang's eyes, and he looked at the group: “So, regarding the candidate for Commander, Lin Zhou and Lei Huang, do you have anything else to add? Or does anyone else have a recommendation?”

Zhao Hao immediately shouted: “I support Old Lin! I've coordinated with him before, he's reliable!” Su Yueyao also nodded slightly: “Student Lin's sense of the big picture and adaptability were already demonstrated in the simulated brawl.”

Yan Li and Stone Breaking Heaven leaned toward the stronger and more senior Lei Huang.

The situation seemed to have fallen into a stalemate.

Just as Director Yang was about to speak, there was a knock on the conference room door, and a teacher walked in, whispering a few words in Director Yang's ear.

Director Yang's expression changed slightly as he looked at everyone and said solemnly: “I just received news. Our group stage opponents for this Star Domain League have been preliminarily determined. One of the teams comes from the 'Shadow Academy.'”

“Shadow Academy?” The faces of several senior students turned grave. Lin Zhou had also heard of this name; it was a school famous for cultivating gods proficient in assassination, curses, and necromantic Spells, and its students' methods were eerie and extremely difficult to deal with.

“Students from the Shadow Academy are most adept at finding weaknesses, dividing and conquering, and defeating opponents one by one. If a team lacks cohesion and effective command, it's very easy for them to exploit loopholes,” Director Yang said meaningfully. “Now, regarding the candidate for Commander, consider it again. Do you choose an indestructible spear, or a shield and a brain that can coordinate the whole situation, solidify defense, and effectively respond to various eerie tactics?”

These words caused the scales to tip. Facing an opponent like the Shadow Academy, a Commander who could stabilize the team and handle complex situations was perhaps more important than a pure attacker.

Ultimately, after a vote, Lin Zhou was elected as the Commander of the Yuncheng No. 1 High School representative team by a narrow margin. Although Lei Huang was somewhat dissatisfied, he also accepted the result; after all, team victory was more important than personal glory.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, feeling the responsibility on his shoulders. He looked at his future teammates and said solemnly: “Since everyone trusts me, I will do my absolute best. Next, we need to gain a deep understanding of each other's Divine Domain characteristics and conduct targeted team coordination training. Let's start with the most basic sharing of Divine Domain characteristics and coordination drills.”

The journey of the Star Domain League officially raised its curtain from this moment. Waiting for them would be even stronger opponents and even more severe challenges.